One year ago, Jeju Air Flight 2216 landed at Muan International Airport (MWX), but its gear did not deploy, and the Boeing 737 tragically burst into a fireball, from which only two survivors would walk away. As the families of the 179 souls lost to the terrible mishap continue to grieve, the full investigation report has yet to be released.
Many of the family members of the victims have expressed extreme frustration at the lack of progress by investigators. We know that the air crew declared an emergency for a bird strike as they approached the runway on that fateful day, and the preliminary findings proposed that the aircrew shut off the wrong engine during the emergency, which families and the pilots’ union have pushed back on.
The State Of Investigations
International air safety regulations dictate that an accident like that of Jeju Air Flight 2216 should be completed by the respective aviation agencies’ investigators within one year. The Asahi Shimbun reported a few days ago that two officials from the investigation board, who declined to identify themselves to reporters, confirmed that the report is not being released to the public yet and did not offer any comments on when it may become available.
The Ministry of Transportation expressed understanding to the families of the victims earlier this month, stating that it is working hard to complete the accident report and deliver it to the public so those who lost loved ones may gain some closure. The South Korean Parliament has also said that it will launch an independent probe to accelerate the release of the findings.
Asahi Shimbun covered the protest on December 25, where family members of the victims had gathered to demand an independent probe. Ryu Kum-ji, 42, lost both of her parents in the fatal mishap. She shaved her head and joined the other grieving families in solidarity, saying this to reporters:
“It feels like all kinds of doubts are just growing bigger and bigger. In the meantime, a year has gone by, and it feels like the frustration is only continuing to build.”
South Korea’s Deadliest Plane Crash
Accident details found on the Aviation Safety Network show that the air traffic control tower did advise the aircrew of wildlife activity, but the publicly revealed flight data recorder (FDR) and cockpit voice recorder (CVR) files end just a few seconds before the pilots declared “Mayday.” The airplane was cleared to land even though they were advised of the bird risk.
It is also known that Flight 2216 passed near a flock of birds during its go-around preceding the second landing attempt that resulted in the crash. The incomplete recordings, combined with the ongoing investigation, have led members of the public and families of the victims to be frustrated and speculate that there may be an ongoing effort to conceal negligence or mistakes that contributed to the accident.
When the plane hit the ground with its landing gear still retracted, it slid down the 2,500-meter-long runway and hit a concrete mound buried under the landing signal array at the end of the tarmac. Although the tail section remained relatively intact, the rest of the aircraft disintegrated upon impact with the array in a violent fireball.
Jeju Air Interim Report: Pilots Shut Off Wrong Engine After Bird Strike
The report has sparked strong pushback from victims’ families and the Jeju Air pilots’ union.
What Lessons Have Been Learned?
An anti-corruption panel of the South Korean Parliament reported to the public in the past week that the concrete structure that Flight 2216 struck was not built in accordance with international standards. Its material strength should have been weaker in order to allow the jet to overcome it, rather than being destroyed by the impact.
Only days after the accident, this concrete structure was slated to be removed. Many media outlets speculated that it may have been to blame for the high death toll of the mishap. The Ministry of Transportation immediately identified at least seven airports that required a similar change to the infrastructure at the field, as DW reported.
The former head of the state-run Korea Airports Corporation was discovered dead in an apparent suicide after Flight 2216 crashed. The concrete embankment was made during a period of renovations in the last several years in an effort to improve airport safety managed by his son. Despite the tragedy of Flight 2216, South Korean air safety has steadily improved since the 1970s, when it was notorious for aviation mishaps.
One of the airports that was found to be in need of a retrofit to “breakable structures” is South Korea’s most popular tourist destination, Jeju Island. They also stated that the safety overrun area would be lengthened at Muan Airport. However, until the full investigation report is released, it remains unclear what could have been done differently to avert the terrible loss of human life suffered when Flight 2216 crashed on December 29, 2024.
